Feed-water regulator



llNiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. CUSHING, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,974, dated February 19, 1889.

Application filed. October 16, 1888. Serial No. 288,230. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. CUSHING, of Beverly, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in FeedlVater Regulators for Boilers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for antomatically regulating the water supply or feed to steam-boilers, and has for its object to provide an efficient and simple apparatus whereby the water-level in the boiler may be maintained substantially constant. As now commonly practiced, the water is pumped from a reservoir or storage or supply tank which is connected to a suitable source of supply-as, for instance, the street-main.

In accordance with my present invention the storage tank is connected to my improved regulator, and the port leading to the said tank is controlled by a valve secured to or forming part of the valve controlling the port which leads to the boiler, so that when the pump is connected to the boiler it will be disconnected from the storage-tank, and when disconnected from the boiler it will be connected to the said storage-tank, whereby the pump may be run continuously.

My invention therefore consists, essentially, in the combination, with the boiler, of an automatic feed-water regulator to control the supply of water to the boiler, consisting of a vessel independent of but connected to the boiler, a float in said vessel, a valve-casing provided with a water-inlet port, a water-outlet port communicating with the boiler, and a second water-outlet port and a valve operatively connected to the float in the said vessel and provided with ports to register with the inlet and outlet ports of the casing, substantially as will be described.

Other features of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a sufficient portion of one form of steam-boiler provided with a feed-water regulator embodying my in- .vention to enable it to be understood, the section through the regulator being taken on the irregular line 000:, Fig. 2, the float and its stem being in elevation; and Fig. 2, a transverse section on the irregular line-y y, Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l, A represents the wall or shell of a boiler, herein shown as upright, but which may be horizontal or inclined. The boiler has connected to it by pipes a a a vessel, a the pipe a, connecting the said vessel with the boiler above the normal waterline or level (indicated by full line a and the pipe a connecting the vessel a with the boiler below the low water line or level, (indicated by dotted line a The vessel a contains within it a preferably hollow metallic float, I), having connected to it a rod or stem, 11', extended, as shown, up through an opening in the top or cover 5 of the vessel a and into a box or chamber, b herein shown as communicating with the vessel a through an opening, I). The front wall of the box or chamber 29 as herein shown, has cast integral with it a valve-casing, 12 provided with three nipples, I) b 5 into which are screwed or otherwise secured pipes c c 0 the said nipples constituting water inlet and outlet ports. The pipe 0 constitutes a water-inlet pipe, the pipe 0 the supply-pipe to the boiler, to which it is connected near its bottom, preferably to the water-leg thereof, while the pipe 0 constitutes the overflow-pipe, and in practice is connected with a storage tank or vessel, (not show.n,) from which the water for the boiler is taken.

The valve-casing b is provided transversely, as herein shown, with an opening, into which is fitted a valve, 0, herein shown as a plug-valve, made hollow for a portion of its length to form a chamber, 0 its hollow end being closed, preferably, by a threaded cap or plug, 0 The walls of the chamber c are provided with three ports, 0 c 0 to register, respectively, with the pipes c c c, as will be described.

The valve 0" is provided with a valve-stem, herein shown as a rod or level, d, having one end inserted into an opening in the said valve, (see Fig. 2,) and having its other end connected to the stem or rod 1), as herein shown, by apin, d, on the rod b, inserted through a slot, 12 in the end'of the level cl.

The front wall of the box 6 is cutaway, as

at (i (see Fig. 2,) to permit of a vertical movement of the level (I.

The valve c, as herein shown, is made tapering, and is prevented from longitudinally moving out of the casing by means of nuts (Z screwed upon the smaller end of the said valve.

lVith the form of valve shown in the drawings, the ports 0 0 are arranged with relation to the port 0 and to each other, so that when one port, as communicates with its pipe 0 the port 0 is disconnected from its pipe 0.

As shown in Fig. 1, the valve has been turned by the float through the rod 17' and level (1 to place the ports 0 c in communication with the pipes 0 respectively, so that water is being supplied to the boiler.

As the amount of water in the boiler becomes noi.-malth.at is, with the boiler filled to the full line co -the valve is gradually turned to disconnect the port 0 from the pipe 0 thereby cutting 01? the supply of water to the boiler and connecting the port a with the pipe 0, thereby placing the storage-tank in communication with the pump. The water now flows through the pipe 0, the hollow valve, and pipe 0' to the storage-tank or reservoir, and the pump is thus maintained in operation. \Vhen the amount of water in the boiler becomes diminished or lessened and the water line or level falls below the normalas, for instance, to the dotted line a the water level or line in the vessel a falls at the same time and in. the same proportion. As the water-line in the vessel a descends, the float falls and turns the valve so as to bring the port a in communication with pipe 0 and permit the water to be supplied to the boiler.

3y locating the float in a vessel outside of the boiler, but connected thereto, the influence or action. of the water admitted to the boiler upon the float is a substantially true record of the water-level in the boilerthat is, the water in the vessel is always atsubstantially the same level as the water in the boiler.

I do not desire to limit myself to the use of the particular valve shown, as it is evident other well-known forms of valve maybe used to control the pipes c c.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the boiler, of an automatic feed-water regulator to control the supply of water to the boiler, it consisting of a vessel independent of but connected to the boiler, a float in said vessel, a valve-casing provided with a water-inlet port, a wateroutlet port communicating with the boiler, and a second water outlet or discharge port, and a valve operatively connected to the float in said vessel to control the said inlet and outlet ports, the inlet-port by one movement of the float being connected to the boiler, and by the movement of the float in the opposite direction being connected to the discharge-port, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the boiler, of an automatic feed-Water regulator to control the supply of water to the boiler, it consisting of a vessel connected by its upper and lower ends to the boiler, a float in said vessel, a valve-casing provided with a water-inlet port, 0, a water-outlet port, 0 communicating with the boiler, and a second water outlet or discharge port, 0, connected to the storage-tank, and a hollow valve operatively connected to the said float and provided with ports 0 c c to register with the ports of the Valve-casin g, the said valve-ports being arranged with relation to each other as described, whereby the water-inlet pipe is alternately connected to the water-outlet pipe leading to the boiler and the discharge-outlet leading to the storagetank, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. CUSHING.

Vitnesses:

JAs. H. CHURCHILL, A. S. WIEGAND. 

